Personal Leadership features as the core of everything for me.  It's the centre of everything I teach and everything I aim to demonstrate as I focus on leading by example.  It is also, in my personal opinion, the key to you  empowering your visions and transforming your life.  While I have my own innate understanding of what personal leadership is I am often reminded that there are many people who do not have a knowing about what it means.  Today I have decided to delve into this topic as the theme for February so I'll be sharing a series of articles over the course of this month to help demystify personal leadership for you, well the Creative Possibility version of personal leadership at least

To get started I feel it's important to tell you about my experience with personal leadership and how I came to be so passionate about it.  I can't exactly remember when it started.  In some ways it's a bit like I've always been interested in what I now call personal leadership.  It is, for me anyway, the deep seated inner drive we all have access to.  It's the drive that fuels your day.  The juice that keeps you flowing.  The magic that makes you sparkls.  It's the choices that you make.  It's saying NO when you know it isn't right and racing up and yelling YES when it's succulently perfect for you.  It's being a leader.  It's living your life on your terms.  It's about saying I can, I will, I do, I am.....

I know that when I'm not in relationship with my inner leader and therefore not engaged in actively living my brand of personal leadership that things are usually not function at their best for me.  It is in these times that I get stagnant, that I feel stuck, challenged, in pain, overwhelmed and just not 'right.'  Things are not working for me and business and my life are often looking pretty bleak. Have you ever had a moment where you just don't 'feel right' but you can't necessarily put your finger on it and put words around what's going on to describe it?  These are the times when you are not in relationship with your inner leader and not following your personal leadership path

What Is Personal Leadership?


"A deep seated, succulent, passionate desire, put into action, to empower your visions and transform your life by staying true to who you really are, aligned with your values, your purpose and your passion"
~ Shannon Bush
The sort of feelings and experiences I described are also signs that you're off track and not honouring yourself in an empowering way.  Time to get back to what it means to be you, and to take charge as the leader of your life, business, career and go out and grab your vision and squeeze it so tight it just melts into you as a divine reality

Personal leadership is, as you may think from it's name, a very personal experience.  My expression of personal leadership will be different to your expression as will the outcomes for both of us.  That is, I think, part of what makes personal leadership so empowering

I'll be back soon with more on this fascinating topic so until next time I wish you succulent, effortless success

Shannon
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_Just so you know, this is not another article promising a magic way to success!

I'm sure you've read a load of articles by now about how this year will be your best yet.  Maybe you're even tired of seeing them land in your inbox, so much so that you've taken to deleting them without even reading them.  If that's the case then first up a big, big thank you for reading this far.  I'll do my best from this point forward to not, I repeat not, make this another one of those articles
_ Instead what I hope to do is to help you get clear on why you have held back in pursuing your dreams till now, or why you've thought more about giving up than breaking through.  I hope to highlight, loud and clear, why this is the best time for you to empower your visions, transform your life and create the masterpiece the world is waiting for - you!

Let's just dive in......

Back in December I hosted  free training Webinar called Seal Your Success in 2012.  It was so popular that there was a repeat performance last week and hundreds of people signed up to hear me share key strategies that will, if you implement them, set you up to make 2012 your best year yet (if you missed it you can view the replay here)

Now during Seal Your Success I revealed a really powerful reflection that I want to ask you now.  After i've asked the question I'd love you to start writing your answer right away, without pausing, without hesitation, trusting in what is flowing forth from you, knowing that your inner leader is guiding you here

Ok here it is......

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Following on from the destination theme of the past couple of days I have decided to devote today's message to helping you to define your destination success.  As someone who embraces and teaches what I know to be key principles to effortless success I often get asked to define success.  This is where it can get tricky.  I don't believe that there is one definition of success as I believe whole heartedly that it's a very, very personal thing.  What I write as my definition of success will not be the same as yours or the next persons

The term success is so popular and shows up all over the place.  You see it feature in personal development, psychology, health, business, education, sports, finances, relationships..... the list goes on and on

When you get to thinking about what it means to you - success - I think you could potentially end up with many different definitions, depending on what area of your life you are thinking about at the time.  What I do know is that your life experience, your path to this point, your environment, your 'map of the world' all contribute to your definitions.  These differences between us are to be celebrated.  It's the differences that make us unique and real.  It's what makes the world an interesting place and a place to explore and journey our own path to success and anything else we wish for
What do you think about these dictionary definitions of success;

Success is the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted

Success is the gaining of fame or prosperityand the extent of such gain

Success is the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like

Success is the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors

Mmmmm.... not sure what I think about these!
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After yesterday's article I got to thinking about what additional destinations were important when it comes to creating a clear image of what it is you want in life.  I had lots of different ideas and they all seemed valid so I decided to wait until the end of my day to allow the clarity to come through and then decide what to share with you

Today I spent the day as a participant in an enlightening workshop as part of an alumni program for a Business Breakthrough program I participated in back in May last year (check out the next one happening in Perth this coming March).  The focus of today was on DISC profiling.  Forgive me if you know what DISC is as a profiling tool but I'm going to give a really brief introduction here.  DISC is essentially a personality profiling tool that helps us to better understand ourselves and others.  There are many profiling tools out there that do similar things and all give us critical insights into our unique selves.  That, for me, is the awesome bit and the stuff that enables me to grow! 

I love learning about people, stretching myself to learn more and gain more understanding about myself and others and to sharing my knowledge with other people so they too can be more enlightened, if you like.  At the very least I am opening up opportunities and possibilities that perhaps did not exist before hand
Here's some of my favourite Growth quotes for added inspiration;

"The only journey is the journey within" ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

"Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still"
Chinese Proverb

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom" ~ Aristotle

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live" ~ Mortimer Adler

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This morning I received a fabulous message in my in-box from a blogger I have been following for some time.  She regularly shares inspiring, fun, quirky and simply awesome lists of different things as suggestions to help you in your life, your business or your career

Reading over her current list, which was focused on making 2012 your best year and having repeated my Seal Your Success webinar again last night, I felt inspired to share some ways for you to be more innovative in your effortless efforts to be a success, empower your visions and transform your life.  So..... drum roll please..... here are my 12 ways to be more innovative in your efforts to be effortlessly successful
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It's now the second week of the new year.  I don't know about you but I have certainly had some big personal challenges that have really tested me and bought up some of the 'stuff' that has the potential to get in the way of me being my best self.  I had thought that 2012 would be a big year and one that asked me to stretch and grow in a whole new way but I didn't expect that it'd start immediately and have a less than fantastic affect on me

Why does this 'stuff' affect me? 

Well quite simply because I let it.  You see I am exactly like you.  When I am tired, overwhelmed, feeling frustrated, challenged physically or emotionally or intellectually then the first thing that happens is that those old things called fears pop up and fear is not helpful, other than to alert me to the fact that I need to take better care of myself and get back on track.  Fear is a sign that I am not empowered with my usual resilience.  It is a sign that I am shifting, changing, growing.  It alerts me to the need to ask for support, and allow myself to receive it and much much more.  Most of all though I see fear as a gift because it gives me an opportunity to reconnect with the potential in being me!  Yes, fear is a gift....

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“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving.
They make mistakes, but they don't quit” Conrad Hilton

There is an interesting phenomenon, if you like, that exists amongst people.  When it comes to getting what we want we take one of two approaches.  We either move away from or towards things in our lives - our goals, visions, dreams, relationships, feelings, opportunities.... and the list goes on

Can you think right now of one thing you move away from - it might be something you move away from all the time.  Now, think of something you move towards.  How do you feel when you're in the move towards place?

Moving towards is what I like to call an expansive action.  It's something that makes you feel open, alive, encouraged, very enthusiastic, motivated, excited, free.  It's uplifting and inspiring

In contrast moving away from is more of a contracting action.  It can make you feel challenged, feaarful, uncomfortable, disconnected, reactionary, slow, depleated.  It zaps your energy and can leave you feeling far from your best self

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"All too often people fail to focus their choices upon results and therefore their choices are ineffective. If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise" ~ Robert Fritz
Do you get the feeling that it is time for you to soar?  I do!  I know it is for me and it feels like this year it is for all of us with great inspiring exciting visions for sharing our gifts with the world in whatever way we are called to do so

How though, do you soar?  What does it take to 'take off' and fly with uplifting, sustained momentum?

It takes you to make new choices.  Bolder choices.  Daring choices.  It takes you to get outside of your comfort zone.  It requires you to stretch.  To bend yourself in a new way

I want to remind you that if you are not happy with your present situation then you need to do something different to change the outcome.  Remember Einstein said the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.  How true that is

The start of your Innovation Challenge for today is to take some time to reflect on and answer these questions:

When did you last
1. Stretch yourself? 
2. Take a bend to shift to a new viewpoint or thought?
3. Step outside your comfort zone to see what's 'lurking' out there in the big wide world beyond the limits you have placed on your possibility and potential?

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"All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success" ~ Dorothea Brande

I've had an intersting few weeks with lots of changes happening in my world which have led to a big challenge when it comes to focusing and belief.  The blessing in all this was that I found the quote above and it really inspired me and delivered a big dose of nurturing hope for this new year and beyond.  I was also reminded of the little bit of wisdom I love from Audrey Hepburn who said "Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says, I'm Possible"
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Over the past few months I've written a lot about effortless success.  It's a great vision of mine, to see others experience their version of success with great ease and joy and to see that success become something significant, sustained and effortless.  I feel great sadness when I see and hear others struggling and I am committed to doing what I can, by sharing my knowledge, experience and wisdom as far and wide as possible to teach others the tools and strategies I've learnt and developed over a significant period of time so that effortless success can be something real for more and more people every day

At this time of year there are so many things happening around us, in our external world.  We have lots of social events to attend, friends and family to see, shopping to do, things to prepare, activity all around us.  There is also a lot happening for us internally, whether you realise it it not.  Quite often we are not consciously aware of how much time we invest in reflecting, looking inward, wondering how things could be different, better, easier, free-er....

This is therefore a powerful time to deeply reflect inward on the year that's been.   Within that reflection space is an opportunity to review your goals and intentions for the past year and to evaluate how well you succeeded in achieving them.  Wether this is something you do formally or something informal, it's not uncommon to be left feeling less than satisfied about your achievements

I think we are too quick to focus on what we haven't achieved rather than celebrating what we have succeeded with and in, no matter how big or small those successes are.  A wise mentor of mine always says "big or small, we celebrate them all" when it comes to reflecting on our personal successes and accomplishments which is such a richly rewarding way to exist

Right now I'd like you to check in and ask yourself the following 9 Power Questions.  They are designed to go deep into reflection on what the past year has been and to open you to begin thinking about what you'd need for next year and beyond to shimmer with effortless success

1. How are you feeling right now as you reflect back on the past year? 
2. How has 2011 been for you, truthfully?   
3. Was it all you wished for and better than you could have hoped? 
4. Whats one significant goal you were certain you'd achieve that you didn't?
5. If you didn't achieve at the rate you'd hoped to then how do you feel about that? (flat, disappointed, frustrated, tired, poor and overwhelmed are the most common responses I hear from people unsatisfied with their performance at this time if year)
6. Are you now vowing that next year will not be a repeat of this past year?
7. What steps are you going to out into place to ensure that 2012 is not a repeat of 2011?
8. Did you ask for help in 2011? Stretch yourself? Learn new skills? Shift limiting beliefs that were holding you back and replace self sabotaging behaviors with supportive, forward momentum actions?
9. What sort of support are you willing to invest in to ensure that 2012 is your best year yet? 


How did you go?  Were you surprised about the responses you got?  Were you truly honest with yourself as you answered each questions? (more questions I know, sorry, but they need to be asked!)

Because so many people let themselves get into a situation this time of year where they start to feel less than satisfied (this is where that unhelpful often negative self talk kicks in and makes us feel quite frankly like we're just not good enkugh) even though they shouldn't, I've decided to hold a complimentary training webinar next week to share with you the secrets to sealing your success in 2012 so that everything about you and you're life shimmer and shine and you can really thrive not just survive!

You can find out more and register for this event here

I can't wait to share the empowering content with you and help you on your way to an awesome new year next year and every year after!  The extra good news is that the strategy and steps I'm going to share are far easier than you might think.  Remember, my intention for you is effortless success from this point forward

Register for the training Webinar and I'll see you there    
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